(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disc device that records and reproduces information on and from an optical disc, and more particularly to a structure of a housing that stores a tray carrying an optical disc.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In general, an optical disc device that is installed in an electronic device has a tray that is held by a body (housing) of the optical disc device and can be inserted into and ejected from the body (housing) of the optical disc device. While the tray is ejected from the housing, an optical disc is placed on the tray. Then, the tray is inserted into the housing so that the optical disc is stored in the body of the optical disc device. A spindle motor and an optical pickup are attached to the tray. The spindle motor rotates the optical disc. The optical pickup can move in a radial direction of the optical disc. The optical pickup irradiates a recording surface of the optical disc with a laser beam so that information is recorded on or reproduced from the recording surface.
The housing stores the tray that can be inserted into and ejected from the housing. The housing includes a top cover and a bottom cover. For a slim type optical disc device, a light material such as a thin aluminum plate is used as a material of a housing in order to reduce the thickness and weight of the slim type optical disc device. However, the mechanical intensity of the housing is low, and a vibration or a contact sound (chattering sound) may occur due to a small gap between the top cover and the bottom cover during rotation of a disc. In order to prevent such a vibration and contact sound, the following structures have been proposed.
JP-A-2005-56526 discloses a structure in which a spacer that includes at least one of a conductive material and a soft magnetic material is located between and faces an upper cover (top cover) and a lower cover (bottom cover) included in a housing so as to prevent a contact sound and improve an effect to shield a magnetic wave that comes from the housing.
JP-A-2007-109327 discloses a structure in which projecting portions are provided at facing parts of side portions of first and second housing portions (bottom and top covers) so as to prevent a vibration between the housing portions. This structure disclosed in JP-A-2007-109327 prevents a reduction in productivity even when the weight of an optical disc device is reduced.